The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has seized eight containers of illegally smuggled sodium cyanide during a compliance inspection at a small-scale mining site in Nkroful in the Ellembelle Municipality of the Western Region.
The operation formed part of ongoing regulatory enforcement efforts targeting illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey, across mining communities in the region.
The inspection team, led by EPA Deputy Director for Mining, Harrison Afful, discovered the hazardous chemical at a grinding and vat leaching site operated by the Nkroful Small Scale Mining Group.
According to Mr Afful, the operators had undertaken cyanide leaching processes for gold extraction, with evidence of chemical residues found at the site.
“They have done vat leeching. They use sodium cyanide to leach the gold, so you could see residue of the chemicals that were used. Some of the bags are not labelled, with one looking like sodium cyanide and another with the inscription copper sulphate,” he said.
He noted that the chemicals appeared to have been exposed to the open environment for an extended period, with torn packaging posing contamination risks to nearby water bodies through surface runoff during rainfall events.
“Sodium cyanide is very toxic and a lethal chemical. The smallest quantity that goes into the human body can cause death. So, it is a very lethal substance and we need to manage and evacuate it as soon as possible,” he added.
Mr Afful explained that sodium cyanide is a controlled chemical substance in Ghana and is not legally accessible through the open market. Under Ghana’s mining and environmental regulatory framework, entities seeking to import or use cyanide for mineral processing are required to obtain an end-user permit specifying the approved location and scope of use.
According to him, only licensed large-scale mining companies authorised to undertake cyanide leaching operations are permitted to import and use the chemical under regulated conditions.
“In our interaction, the owner of this site told us that he sourced the product from a neighbouring town in Togo. Clearly, the source is illegal and so we have confiscated eight drums of the product,” he stated.
The EPA said the confiscation formed part of immediate measures to prevent further environmental contamination and mitigate potential public health risks to surrounding communities.
During a separate inspection at another column leaching facility, the EPA team also observed what it described as unsafe operational practices with potential environmental implications.
Mr Afful subsequently cautioned operators engaged in mineral processing activities to adopt approved safety protocols and regularise their operations in compliance with Ghana’s environmental and mining regulations.
By Eric Yaw Adjei
